October 24, 2010

Propaganda myths crumble

The Iraq log will be followed by the Afghanistan log.

The 'shoot the messenger' response is fading and Nick Clegg showed a grasp of the reality of the horror. It was our moral superiority that was used to justify our invasions to replace the barbarism of Iraq and Afghanistan. The logs reveal an ugly reality that sweeps away the last fragments of justification for armed intervention. Why swap their barbarism for ours?

The 22 questions that I have tabled seek the truth on incidents that will shame us all if they are true. The propaganda myths are crumbling.

Newport jobs

The two Newport job worries require different solutions. Optimism would be rash in both cases.

Warburtons is a private company and not answerable to political pressure. They will act in their own commercial interests. With the Assembly Member Rosemary Butler I met and spoke to them on a number of occasions. There has been no recent news.

My representative and Rosemary had a formal with another local bakery but hopes are not high for a take-over from them. A third firm was mentioned as a possible bidder but no news has been heard.

Warburtons told me that their enhanced redundancy terms are good. A worker at the firm was less certain. I hope that the union can forged a future for the local jobs and, if not, a fair settlement for the staff.

It was disappointing that no detailed information was available at the meeting on the reasons for the closure proposal. We pointed out that a meaningful consultation is not possible until both sides have the full report. The claimed savings that could result are very small in terms of public expenditure and certainly would not justify the loss of 250 jobs.

The meeting agreed that a full impact assessment be made to measure the effect of the closure of the economy of Newport and Wales and that the Home Office pursues with the Newport City Council what alternative office space is available to relocated the Passport Office in Newport.

Copies of the recent coverage of this issue by the South Wales Argus were presented to Damien Green.

Comments

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"Each employee waits for the end of the 'consultancy period'"

It's the law that forces a long drawn-out painful time. And if any information or comfort were given to you, the unions would pounce on it as proof that the consultation was hastier than the law permits and sue the company.

Parliament deemed that consultation must take this long: your agony of uncertainty is down to men like Paul Flynn, not the employer (which almost certainly wants the agony over as quickly as possible).

Unhappy - "Just pay up close the bakery and have done with it." This was never going to happen.

Braces cannot afford the site, someone else could and it's likely that the site will be sold as a going concern. Paying up is not an option for Warburtons - by selling to a 'lesser' competitor they get the positive PR spin (look we've sold the site and saved the 114 jobs aren't we good..) plus they get to save £'s by not paying redundancy.

In the meantime no employee can claim react funding or other related help as their status is not confirmed as redundant. Each employee waits for the end of the 'consultancy period' holding to the hope that the company will come forward with constructive information - something sadly missing so far.

Many of the employees are no closer to knowing their future at the site than when the original bombshell was dropped back in September. Hopefully something positive will be told before the Christmas period, ironically a busy time for the bakery industry.

It's a bit early to throw the towel in, 'unhappy'. You may be correct but the process should be pursued because the loss permanently of jobs will be a severe blow. They are very difficult to replace in the present crisis.

joke is more like the real answer. Warburtons are using the system to suit themselves.Keeping a quality workforce on a knife edge with no regard except profit.Braces getting free advertising even visiting the factory and ignoring the workers.
Just pay up close the bakery and have done with it.

'The 'shoot the messenger' response is fading and Nick Clegg showed a grasp of the reality of the horror.'

Clegg would seem to be in a minority, others in government are still hiding behind the 'Wikileaks is acting irresponsibly' lie. The proponents of these wars simply don't like how the truth contradicts them and reflects upon their actions and decisions.

Perhaps, unlike Clegg, others are UNABLE to hear the truth. They've long since chosen their course and have retreated into stubborn 'resolve' and blind optimism that 'we did/ are doing the right thing'. But the truth will still come out even if some people don't care to hear it.

It really shouldn’t be a case of 'shoot the messenger'. Their interests after all ought to be mutual. As Clegg says the evidence from Wikileaks is 'extremely serious'. The evidence needs to be investigated and acted upon. Instead there are plots to bring charges against Assange and close Wikileaks down.

The word "fair" is utterly meaningless these days. I and several friends have experience of the redundancy process and it is very far from any meaning of fair. The system forces companies to prolong the agony ("consultation" of three months - the axe hanging for a quarter of a year!). The system also forces good workers to be included in the process even if their jobs are safe - because the long agony of uncertainty must be shared around. One friend ended up on beta blockers from stress.